So, here we go with fic number 2!
Warning; Not beta'd and I still suck at fight scenes.
Disclaimer: Power Rangers belong to Saban.
Power Trip
The echoing cries of triumph and joy that made their way through the Moon Palace interrupted the spar Goldar and Scorpina had engaged themselves in. Stopping their movements, they looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "Wonder what she's so happy about," Scorpina murmured.
"Goldar! Scorpina! Get in here!"
"Guess we're about to find out," Goldar replied, sheathing his sword and leaving the room, his companion right behind him. They found Empress Rita in the throne room, looking positively giddy despite her pale appearance, waving a concerned Finster off as she sat down on her throne. "You called, my Queen?" Goldar questioned, his curiosity rising by the second.
Rita smiled. "I've done it, Goldar!" she announced. "I've mastered the magicks needed to give one of those power brats a surge of the power they love so deeply."
Goldar and Scorpina exchanged glances, wondering if their queen had finally taken leave of her senses. "Rita," Scorpina ventured hesitantly. "I thought our goal was to kill the little vermin, not give them even more power to kick our collective asses."
Rita grinned almost manically. "Tell me, Scorpina, do you know what happens when someone is exposed to an overwhelming amount of power? More power than they can possibly handle?"
Scorpina nodded. "Yes, of course. I've seen it numerous times. It's usually not pretty."
Rita nodded. "Correct. And do you know just how much power the Morphing Grid contains?" As they both shook their heads in the negative, she said, "Enough to destroy the entire Universe, plus two or three parallel universes. The Rangers power coins draw from the Grid only what the owner is able to handle. It's a safety measure. I, my dear minions, have found the magicks needed to override that safety. All I need is access to a coin to use the magic on. It can only be used once, I'm afraid, so only one lucky Ranger will get to experience what an overload in power from the Grid can do before it kills him or her."
Goldar and Scorpina exchanged amazed glances. "That's absolutely brilliant, my Empress!" Goldar exclaimed. "Who are you going to use it on?"
Rita pushed herself to her feet, again waving Finster off, and moved toward her telescope. "Let's find out." She gazed through the instrument, discovering that Kimberly and Tommy were together, as were Zack, Trini and Billy. The only one who was alone was Jason.
"Jason!" she exclaimed. "How absolutely delicious! The others will have a difficult time recovering from the terrible loss of their leader! If they even can. Scorpina! I want you to go down there with some putties and play the damsel in distress." She turned, producing a necklace with a blue gem. "Put this on. After he saves you, take his hand in your gushing appreciation and rub the gem. It will release a small spell that will put him under for a few minutes. Grab his coin and hold it up so that I can put the spell on it. Then get out of there. He won't remember
you when he comes out of it. Then we can sit back and watch the fun!"
"How long will it take before the power overwhelms him, Empress?" Goldar questioned.
"The coin will steadily leak energy to him throughout the day, but it won't be until he morphs that the real overload will begin."
Scorpina nodded, grinning widely as she put the necklace on. Then she vanished to carry out her task, and Rita turned her attention back to Earth to watch Jason.
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Jason walked through the park on his way to school, mentally going over what he had studied the night before for the history test later that day. His musings were interrupted when a frightened scream reached his ears and he stopped, looking around anxiously for the source. There, not far from him, were three putties terrorizing a pretty girl he'd never seen before. With a shout, he dropped his bag and ran to help the girl.
The putties immediately turned toward him and he engaged them quickly, drawing them away from the cowering girl. The fight was over in a matter of moments, much to Jason's surprise. Deciding that Finster had cooked up a bad batch, he shrugged mentally and hurried over to check on the girl.
"You okay?" he asked, holding out his hand to help her up.
The girl, a very pretty Asian who actually did look a little familiar, smiled up at him as she took his hand. "Yeah, thanks," she said breathlessly. "That was amazing!" she added, lightly touching the gem on her necklace.
Jason started to reply, but a flash of light from the gem stopped him, leaving him staring vacantly into space. Scorpina waved a hand in front of his eyes just to be sure, then quickly found his morpher and pulled it out. "Go, Rita!" she exclaimed, knowing the evil queen was watching.
Second later, a beam of yellow light hit the coin. She watched the coin glow brightly, then return to normal. Quickly putting it back where she found it, she looked at Jason and smirked. Pressing up against him, she kissed his cheek. "My hero," she breathed, then vanished, leaving him to slowly come out of the spell.
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Kimberly and Tommy were walking through the park on the way to school, partly comparing notes and partly making plans for after school when Tommy glanced up and titled his head a little. "Hey, isn't that Jason over there?"
Kim followed his line of site and nodded. "Yeah. Wonder why he's just standing there," she murmured. "Let's catch up with him."
Tommy nodded and they quickened their pace. "Jason!" he called out. He frowned when Jason didn't respond and called out again, seeing his friend jerk a little and start looking around. When they reached him, he was blinking and looking around and blinking in confusion. Exchanging
glances with Kim, Tommy reached out and put a hand on Jason's shoulder. "Jason? You okay?" he asked, drawing the other's attention to him.
Jason nodded slowly. "Uh...yeah, yeah I'm fine." He frowned as he glanced around. "Can't remember what I was doing, though."
Tommy smiled nervously. "I thought *I* was supposed to be the one with the memory problem," he joked, getting a light chuckle from his friend.
"Must be the stress of the test today," the red clad teen commented as he started looking around again. "Either of you see my bag?"
"There it is," Kim replied, spotting it and leading the way over.
"Wonder what it's doing over here," Jason murmured as he picked it up and glanced around again.
Tommy and Kim exchanged another nervous look. "Hey, Jase, maybe we should take a detour to the Command Center. Get Zordon to make sure you're okay."
Jason seemed to consider it, but then glanced at his watch and shook his head. "No time. We're going to be late." He started walking, glancing back at them as they followed. "I'll stop by later," he added before they could push the issue.
"Promise?" Kim challenged and Jason rolled his eyes and smiled. "Yes, mom," he replied, laughing when she glared at him and slapped his arm. He gave them a wicked grin and said, "Last one there has to wash the others Zords!" before taking off in a run.
Tommy and Kim looked at each other, mouths open, before Tommy shouted, "No fair!" and took off after Jason. "Hey!" Kim shouted indignantly. "I'm not wearing the right shoes for running!"
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As the day passed, Jason found himself growing more and more hyperactive. He couldn't sit still, drawing the ire of more than one teacher and concerned looks from his friends. At the Youth Center, he challenged both Tommy and Zack to take him on at the same time, even trying to get Billy involved, though their resident genius wisely refused. He sat at a table with Trini and Kim, watching the trio uncertainly.
"What in the world has gotten into Jason?" Trini asked as they watched him drop Zack, the turn and engage Tommy in lightning fast moves. The other two shook their heads as Tommy went down and Zack called a time out. The three boys stood together, talking and clearly agitated. After a moment, Jason left the spar area and headed out the door while Tommy and Zack headed toward them.
"Where did Jason go?" Trini asked as Tommy and Zack sat down.
"Off to run around the park a few dozen times," Zack replied, looking bewildered. "Man, is he ever bizarre today!"
"He's been acting weird since Tommy and I met him in the park this morning," Kim said, and proceeded to tell the others of the odd encounter.
Billy looked concerned. "This is starting to become rather disturbing," he said. "It's entirely possible that Rita did something to him that's affecting his energy levels, which could be extraordinarily dangerous. The human body can only endure so much before it's forced to shut down. We should probably go after him and convince him to go to the Command Center for testing."
The others nodded agreement. "Assuming we can catch him," Zack muttered as they stood and headed out the door.
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"Uh oh," Rita muttered as she watched the five teens leave the Youth Center to head after Jason. "Finster! Get some putties down there to distract those brats!" she ordered. "Goldar! Scorpina! You two have the honor of getting Jason to morph." She glanced at them. "Be careful, though. Once he morphs, get out of the way or he'll likely tear you apart."
"Yes, Empress." Goldar and Scorpina bowed, and then vanished in flashes of golden light to intercept the Red Ranger.
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Jason practically raced through the park in his desire to burn off the crazy energy that chose to plague him that day. He wasn't sure what was going on. It was like he was morphed and some part of him thought that he should find that worrisome. But the rest of him just wanted to do
anything and everything. He felt like he could take on one of Rita's monsters single handedly and win and actually hoped that Rita *would* send a monster down to attack just so he'd have something to direct the energy surge at.
As if she was reading his mind, Goldar and Scorpina appeared in a flash of light and Jason skidded to a halt, a little grin tugging at his lips. "Boy, did you two pick the wrong day to come play," he called out, hand drifting toward his morpher. He may have felt that he could take on
Rita's goons in his current state, but he certainly wasn't stupid enough to try it.
Goldar and Scorpina exchanged little smiles of their own. "Go ahead and morph then, Red Ranger, and let's get the game started," Goldar answered.
Wondering if the two were feeling as energetic as he was, Jason brought his morpher out and called out his transformation. He felt the familiar rush of power from the Grid, further enhancing his already high energy and, for a moment, felt absolutely incredible. He gasped as his body came alive with more energy than he'd ever experienced before, far exceeding the first time he'd ever morphed. He completely forgot about Goldar and Scorpina as he reveled in the feelings coursing through him, not noticing when his coin started glowing with a bright red light that burst out and enveloped him a few seconds later.
Another gasp was torn from him, this one pained. A quick moment of clarity came over him and he knew he was being flooded with too much power. It hurt now. Memories that were not his own started flashing through his confused mind. Names, dates, places, events...things he
didn't understand invaded his breaking mind, swirling and mixing together. Screams of fear, grief, torment and anger echoed through his head, his own screams joining them until, with a burst of comprehension he came to know just one thing; he was alone in enemy territory and had to destroy everything he came across.
At all costs.
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The other five Rangers made it as far as the edge of the park before they were accosted by putties. Spreading out, they methodically worked their way through the grey beings, gathering together when the last finally vanished. "Anyone else a little worried about Rita's timing with that one?" Zack asked, glancing around in case she decided to send more down.
"It's looking more and more like our theory is more than theory," Billy answered and was about to suggest continuing on when their communicators beeped.
"We read you, Zordon. Go ahead," Zack responded.
"Rangers, report to the Command Center immediately," came the voice of their inter dimensional leader. "We have a dire emergency."
None of them missed the note of actual fear in Zordon's voice and, exchanging apprehensive glances, quickly teleported themselves to their base of operations. "Zordon, what's happening?" Zack asked over the blaring of the alarm. A quick glance around revealed that Jason was absent. "Where's Jason?"
"Ai-yi-yi!" Alpha exclaimed. "It's Jason! *He's* the emergency!"
"We were afraid of that," Zack said grimly, looking up at Zordon. "We think Rita did something to him this morning. We were just going to go find him and bring him here when we were attacked by putties. Where is he?"
"He is currently attacking downtown Angel Grove," came the very unexpected reply.
"What! Why? What happened?" Zack demanded as they all instinctively turned toward the view globe. Sure enough, there was Jason rampaging through the downtown core, scared civilians running in all directions to get away from him.
"Jason has experienced a dangerously overwhelming surge of power from the Morphing Grid," Zordon explained. "The amount of power that has flooded his system is far too much for him and has sent him into a berserker type rage."
"Rita!" Kim exclaimed. "It had to have been her!" She quickly told Zordon of the encounter with Jason that morning and the way he'd been all day.
"This is indeed distressing," Zordon said when she was done. "Rita must have tampered with his coin to force it to draw more energy from the Grid than Jason can possibly handle. If he is not blocked from the Grid and purged of the energy soon, Jason will die. Rangers, you must engage him and get his morpher away from him so that he is forced to demorph. Once he has demorphed, we will be able to teleport him back here and purge him of the power. Go quickly, there is not much time."
Zack shook himself out of his stupor and nodded sharply, looking at the others with determination. They looked back with the same determination. They weren't about to lose Jason without a fight.
"It's Morphin' time!"
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They arrived to absolute chaos. Cars were overturned and on fire, building windows smashed in, fire hydrants spraying water into the air and panicked people screaming as they fled the area. And in the midst of it all, blade blaster blasting away, was Jason, screaming something in
another language that none of them recognized.
"I didn't know Jason knew another language," Tommy said as he and others took in the scene.
"He doesn't," Zack replied, voice tense with worry. What did that mean? Why was Jason speaking in another language? Would he understand them when they spoke to him? Would *they* understand *him?* Pushing aside the questions for the moment, Zack hurried forward. "Red Ranger! Stop!" he shouted, not wanting to use real names with civilians still in the area.
Jason stopped and turned, confirming that he at least understood them. Zack took a cautious step forward. "Red Ranger, you're in serious danger right now! We're here to help you!"
"Lies!" Jason screamed back in a voice filled with such grief and rage that they all took a step back. "You can't fool me, Tra'kan! I know they're all dead! How *dare* you use their forms like this! I'll kill you with my bare hands!"
'What the hell?' Zack thought, exchanging glances with the others, knowing they were as confused as he was. Before he could question Jason, though, their furious leader was on them, lashing out with vicious kicks and punches, his speed far greater than normal. After several minutes of intense fighting, with Jason calling out strange things, and kicking their asses, Zack took a moment to contact Zordon.
"Zordon! Is this power trip that Jason's on supposed to have him talking in other languages and stuff?"
There was pause, and then Zordon said, "No, Zack. What is he saying?"
"Well, when he actually talks in English, he calls out weird names like, uh...Tra'kan and..." What was that name he had used a moment ago? Ta..Tapanna. "Tapanna! He called Kim Tapanna. Really didn't seem to like whoever Tapanna is supposed to be."
There was another few seconds of silence, then Zordon said urgently, "Zack, you *must* subdue Jason and get him back here immediately! It would appear that the situation has changed drastically."
"Care to share?" Zack asked as he dodged a blast from Jason's blaster.
"Now is not the time, Black Ranger." Zack shifted. Zordon usually only reverted to their color codes when he was deadly serious. "You *must* complete your mission!"
"Any ideas how? He's like a whirlwind! We can hardly get near him!"
There was another pause, then, "Tommy, are you listening?"
"Yeah, Zordon. What's the...the plan?" came Tommy's breathless response.
"Call your Dragon Dager. Repeat the following melody."
Almost immediately, a melody began filtering over the communications channel. The others paused to listen and even Jason seemed to falter for a second before continuing his assault on Billy. Tommy listened carefully, nodded, and then began to play. Zack watched in bewilderment as Jason stopped and looked up again. "Ezza?" he called out, voice thick with emotion. "Is that you?"
Tommy continued playing and started slowly toward him. Zack's eyes widened when he realized that Jason was completely entranced and he shouted into the open communications line, "Hurry! Someone grab his morpher while he's distracted!"
Billy, being the closest, reacted instantly and tackled Jason, grabbing the Red Ranger's morpher and then getting out of the way as fast as he could. In a flash of light, Jason demorphed, and then disappeared in the light of a teleportation stream.
'That was fast,' Zack thought as the others hurried over to join him. 'Alpha must have had his finger right on the button.' He glanced around and winced at the mess. Well, not much they could do about it. "Come on guys, let's get back and see how Jase is."
The others nodded in agreement, and they vanished in their own teleportation streams.
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Scorpina looked at Rita as the Rangers disappeared from the battlefield. While it had been fun to watch, she was a little confused. "Was that whole multiple personality thing supposed to happen?"
Rita looked rather surprised herself. "That was...unexpected. I recognized some of those names he was calling out." Her gaze turned contemplative as she thought about what they had just witnessed. "How odd," she murmured. "I wonder..."
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They arrived back in the Command Center to find Jason laying on a medical bed behind a force field. He was staring up at Zordon with wide, glassy eyes, body shaking so hard it looked like he was vibrating. "What's happened to him, Zordon?" Trini asked, wishing she could take her friend's hand to give him some kind of comfort.
At the sound of her voice, Jason's gaze turned to her and she watched an odd series of emotions play through them. The glassy look faded, replaced with a gentle sadness. "Morac," he whispered. "You grew your hair out. I like it."
"Um...thank you," Trini murmured, exchanging confused looks with the others.
"Rangers," Zordon spoke up and Jason's eyes turned glassy again as he turned his attention back to the inter dimensional being. Before Zordon could continue, the glassy look left Jason's eyes again and his expression became one of astonishment. "Zordon? Is that you?" he asked, his voice taking on a gravelly quality. "What in the name of the Holy Nine happened to you? You look terrible!"
Zordon ignored the question and continued. "Rita's tampering with Jason's coin produced an unexpected side effect. It opened the coin's memory, exposing Jason to its past holders."
Silence fell for a moment, Jason continuing to twitch and stare strangely. Then Zack said, "Uh, say what?"
"You're saying that Jason is experiencing memories and impressions from the Red Rangers that came before him?" Billy questioned. "Sort of like, and as a scientist I really loath saying this, spiritual possession?"
"Affirmative, Billy," Zordon confirmed, causing everyone to stare at Jason in shock. "As Rangers, your bond with your coin is immensely complicated and unique. There is no way I could ever adequately explain to you what occurs between a Ranger and his or her coin. It is so strong, that when a Ranger gives up their coin, either voluntarily or through death, they leave a piece of themselves with the coin. Which is why the impressions that having been coming forward seem so sentient and aware."
"Dude," Tommy whispered. "That is so messed up!"
"I"m...almost afraid to ask, but why does he seem to think we're these other people?" Kim asked, thinking back to the name he had called her with such hatred.
"The impressions coming forward are seeing the colors you wear and associating them with their own teams," Zordon answered.
Kim frowned. "Again, afraid to ask but, who was Tapanna?"
Zordon closed his eyes and sighed. "Tapanna was a Pink Ranger on Telos 2 several thousand years ago. She fell in love with their enemy and betrayed them, resulting in the death of the Blue Ranger, that Red Ranger's twin brother."
Kim went pale and looked at Jason, who was looking at Billy with terribly sad eyes before they abruptly turned hard and suspicous. "Ekran!" he barked, causing everyone to jump. He was still staring at Billy. "Report environment status! Where the hell are we?"
"You are back at headquarters undergoing a training simulation, Ebar," Zordon replied for the gaping Billy. "The simulator is having some technical issues. Please stand by."
'Ebar's' eyes cut to Zordon and nodded curtly. "Stupid tech," he muttered darkly, then shuddered and closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were glassy again and staring up at Zordon.
"Okay," Zack spoke up. "I agree with Tommy. This is seriously messed up! How do we...well, fix him?"
"The door that has been opened must be closed," Zordon answered. "But before that can happen, we must find Jason. He is lost in his own mind amid the chaos of the memories and if he is not brought to the forefront before the door is closed, then we will lose him forever."
Silence met that statement, the teens looking at Jason uneasily. "How do we find him in his own mind, Zordon?" Trini asked.
"By using your power coins and the bond you share with each other," Zordon replied. "You will need to enter states of deep meditation guided by your coins. Once you have achieved that, your coins and your bond will connect you to Jason's mind and allow you to begin your search. But
first, Jason's energy levels must be brought down to a safer level."
All eyes returned to Jason as he started muttering in a strange language. Alpha responded to whoever it was looking out of Jason's eyes at that moment, and whatever the android said seemed to satisfy the impression. It nodded and then retreated, leaving Jason's eyes glassy again.
"What was that about, Alpha?" Zack asked, voicing the curiosity for all of them.
"Just one of the impressions asking after a teammate," Alpha replied and the Rangers were struck by the note of sadness in his voice.
"A teammate that didn't make it?" Tommy guessed.
"One of many," Alpha replied. It was at that moment that the teens realized how much death and tragedy that Zordon and Alpha must have witnessed in their many centuries of life guiding Ranger teams all over the universe. It drove home in each of them that they were not immortal.
That they could very easily fall in battle and become memories in their own power coins. The realization sent shivers through each of them and they unconsciously moved closer together, seeking comfort from one another.
"Rangers," Zordon spoke and everyone looked up. "Jason will be back down to acceptable power levels in a couple of hours. I suggest you all take this time to prepare for what you must do. You need to harmonize yourselves with each other. Please, sit down in a circle and join hands."
The Rangers did as asked and Zordon continued. "Close your eyes and relax your minds. Look within yourselves and find the power you hold. Do not speak. I will know when each of you has reached your goal."
Nodding, the five closed their eyes, turning their attention inward as they followed Zordon's instructions. Tommy found his power fairly easily, gasping softly as it brushed his mind and made him acutely aware of his surroundings. He could feel the others so strongly, it was like he was actually looking at them, yet they seemed rather blurry, like he was looking at them through a foggy window. But, very slowly, as each of the others managed to make contact as he had, the image cleared until it was crystal perfect.
"Rangers," Zordon's voice whispered in their minds. "Open your eyes and look at one another."
They opened their eyes, and each started in surprise at what they saw. Each of them were alight with their Ranger color. "Zordon," Trini breathed, "what's happening?"
"You have harmonized yourselves with one another," Zordon replied. "For the next few hours, you will instinctively know what each of your teammates is going to do and will react accordingly."
As if to prove what he'd just said was accurate, Kim murmured, "Bless you, Billy," just a few seconds before the Blue Ranger sneezed. They looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Whoa," Tommy murmured. "*That's* the kind of harmony that would make us unstoppable in battle."
"Unfortunately, Rangers, this type of harmonization only works for the task you are about to undergo and only lasts a few hours."
"Too bad," Tommy murmured, eying Kim appreciatively, who blushed and looked away.
Before any kind of horseplay could develop, Zordon continued on. "It is time, Rangers, to enter Jason's mind and complete your mission."
"Already?" Zack asked in surprise. "How long have we been meditating?"
"Three hours and six minutes," Alpha answered, handing Zack Jason's power coin. At Zack's questioning look, Zordon explained.
"Jason's power coin, will help you gain access to his mind and guide you through it. Hopefully, it will take you to him." He paused, then added, "Rangers, there is something you must understand. While you are in Jason's mind, you will see things that will likely be upsetting and make you want to intervene. But you must realize that what you see are events that have already happened. Things you cannot change no matter how much you may want to. As the impressions have been doing for the last few hours, they may speak and interact with you briefly, perceiving you as people they knew before moving on with the events that they were part of."
"Understood, Zordon," Billy replied as the other nodded warily, wondering what they were about to see.
"Very well. You are now ready to depart. Take out your coins and place them in front of you. Zack, put Jason's coin in the center of the circle." When his instructions were completed, Zordon continued. "Now, Rangers, you must go back into deep meditation, making sure to remain perfectly harmonized. Seek out the power of the Red Ranger and when you find it, you will know instinctively what you must do. Good luck, Rangers. May the Power guide you to your lost leader."
Nodding, the Rangers did as instructed. Each of them could feel the others as they entered mediation, sinking deeper and deeper, looking for the power of their missing member. It wasn't as easy as it had been looking for their own powers. Several times, they sensed the Red Power
nearby, only to have it give them the slip when they pursued it. Finally, after losing it again for the seventh time, Billy called their attention to him.
"I think we're doing this wrong. It's almost like we're playing tag with it." He paused, then added, "I think we've lost harmonization somewhere. We should stay right here and adjust ourselves and then I think we should try calling it to us. I don't think we need to actually physically catch it, just have it close enough to connect with."
The others nodded in agreement and, forming a circle, they joined hands and closed their eyes, concentrating. Quickly finding the problem, they corrected it, then began calling for the Red Power to come to them. A few minutes later, their efforts paid off. The Red Power materialized close by as an orb of light, pulsing as if in greeting.
Looking at each other, they nodded and called out in unison, "The power of five seek the power of one!"
"Mastadon!"
"Pterodactyl!"
"Triceratops!"
"Saber Tooth Tiger!"
"Dragon Zord!"
"Bring us to the power of the Tyrannosaurus!"
Blinding light enveloped them, followed by an almost unbearable heat and then...
"Uh...why are we at the park?" Kim asked, looking around at the empty landscape that they visited so often.
"I don't think we actually are," Billy replied, looking around with interest. "This is likely part of Jason's mind. A place he feels is important. I'll bet we'll find the Youth Center, the school, each of our homes...even the Command Center as we travel."
"Why is it deserted?" Zack asked. "Didn't Zordon say it would be a mess in here?"
Billy shrugged. "The Red Power is supposed to be guiding us. It could be that it brought us to an isolated area to keep us from being overwhelmed."
At the mention of the Red Power, a pulsing sensation went through all their bodies and they turned as one to find the orb blinking at them from a few feet away. Instinctively knowing that it wanted them to follow it, the teens started walking toward it as it started moving.
It was mere seconds later when they felt a shift in the air and the sounds of battle reached their ears. They kept walking, following the red orb until the air shimmered and the park was replaced by a burning city. A team of Rangers were fighting black clad beings and looked as if they weren't faring well. From the way they were moving, it looked as if the Rangers had been in battle for hours and were near exhaustion. Yet, for some reason, they weren't retreating. The teens glanced uneasily at each other, each feeling that something terrible was about to happen just seconds before the Yellow Ranger was violently struck down.
"Pika!" Red Ranger shouted, fighting his way to his comrade. He fell down next to her, calling to her frantically as the Black Ranger joined them. The visitors felt a terrible sadness penetrate them well before the grief filled scream split the air. As the Red Ranger returned to the fight in a
rage, Kim whispered, "Let's get out of here you guys," rubbing at her eyes as she started moving after the red orb again.
The others followed silently, swallowing hard and trying to shake off the feelings of grief the memory had instilled. As they continued on, they encountered many more memories of Rangers falling in battle, one of the worst being one Ranger killing another while under the influence of a
spell. That one hit Tommy hard and the teens were forced to stop and re-harmonize themselves before they could continue.
As predicted, some of the memory people interacted with them briefly before taking off. Mostly, they would call out to the teens, asking questions that had to do with the memory they were currently in or occasionally issuing instructions. One encounter, however, was a little more...interesting. As they were making their way through one of the few peaceful memories, a voice called out, "Ritz! Ritz!"
They turned just in time for a red clad girl to jump into Zack's arms, taking them both to the ground where she proceeded to kiss him passionately. The others looked at each other in bewilderment, then back at Zack as he and the girl broke apart, the girl smiling happily at him.
"I"m pregnant, Ritz!" she exclaimed, causing Zack's eyes to widen in alarm.
"Um...that's really great!" he managed after a few seconds. "I-I'm really happy!"
The girl beamed at him before getting to her feet and pulling him up with her. "Come on!" she exclaimed. "Let's go tell the others!" She turned and took off, leaving a stunned Zack staring after her.
Kim and Trini started to giggle, while Tommy and Billy grinned and snickered. "Congratulations, Zack!" Tommy said, clapping Zack on the back. "I think you'll make a great daddy!"
"We'll have to organize a party to celebrate the occasion," Billy chimed in.
"Hey, at least I got some action!" Zack shot back, eyes dancing at the humor of the situation.
"It's nice to see a good memory for a chance," Kim commented. "Wonder if they got to live happily ever after."
"They did."
The group turned to find another girl, this one clad in the Red Ranger uniform sans her helmet. She was olive skinned with spikey bright blue hair and slightly elongated ears. "She and the Black Ranger both retired shortly after they announced they were expecting," she continued, eyes following the disappearing girl. Her gaze moved to the group, looking at them appraisingly. "The Red Rangers don't have a good history of living long lives. I, myself, died at nineteen."
The teens exchanged confused looks. "Uh, this doesn't seem quite right," Zack murmured. He looked at Billy and asked, "Are the memory people supposed to be able to answer questions like that?"
"No," Billy replied, looking at the girl suspiciously. "At least, I don't think so."
Amusement danced in the girl's eyes and a little smile crossed her lips. "You're right. The 'memory people' do not act as I am. That is because I am not a mere memory. I am Cera. I sacrificed my life many centuries ago to save my world using the Power in a way that few have ever been able to do. My body was destroyed and my spirit was drawn into the coin and trapped within its memory."
The group stared at Cera in surprise, neither quite sure what to say. Finally, Zack broke the silence. "So...do you know who we are, then?"
"And why we're here?" Tommy added.
Cera nodded. "I do," she said as the orb moved to hover next to her. "You seek your leader, the current holder of the Red Power."
"Do you know where he is?" Trini asked.
"Yes. He is in a dark place, tormented by memories that are both his own and not his own. Tam is watching him."
"Who's Tam?" Kim asked, exchanging worried looks with the others.
"Another spirit who's sacrifice trapped him within the coin."
"Just how many of you spirits are there?" Zack asked.
"Three. Myself, Tam and Kess. Though you will likely not meet Kess if it can be avoided."
"Why not?" Tommy asked curiously.
"Because she is not one you would wish to meet," Cera answered, glancing at the hovering orb sadly. "She lurks in the darkest parts of the coin's memory, a shell of what she once was. I assume Zordon leads you?" At the affirming nods, she added, "You may ask him about Kess if you really desire to know more about her. For now, come, I will take you to the one you seek." Turning, she moved off, not looking back to see if they followed. Looking at each other, they shrugged and followed silently.
The atmosphere got progressively darker the further they went and the memories actually worse. Three times they had to stop to re harmonize themselves while Cera waited patiently. Finally, after what felt like many hours, Cera called a halt at the edge of a dark cavern. "A moment," she murmured before any of them could question her. She stared into the
darkness and, a few minutes later, a young man stepped out, also wearing a Red Ranger uniform. He, too, had olive skin and blue hair that went down to his shoulders with the same slightly elongated ears that Cera possessed.
"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that this is Tam," Tommy said. "Are you two related by any chance?"
Cera shook her head. "No. We are of the same people but held the Power ten years apart from each other."
Tam nodded to Cera, gaze sweeping over the other Rangers. "They are his team?" he inquired.
"Aye," Cera replied with a nod. "How is he doing?"
"Not well," Tam answered, gaze shifting to the others. "He needs them."
"Jason!" Zack exclaimed. "Where is he? What's happening to him?"
"He has been experiencing many of the darkest memories of the coin along with some of his own. Currently, he's trapped in a memory of a fight with a strange creature in golden armor."
"Aw hell," Tommy muttered. "Must have been that time with Goldar in the Dark Dimension. We'd better get in there."
"But what are we supposed to do?" Kim asked. "How do we help him?"
"You must make him remember that what he faces now, he has already faced and conquered," Cera replied.
"And if the memory changes suddenly, then you must make him realize that it is not real," Tam added.
"Been there," Zack murmured, thinking of their experience on the Island of Illusions. "All right guys. Let's do it." The others nodded in agreement and they entered the cavern, Cera and Tam following quietly behind.
The cavern turned out to not be quite as dark as it looked from outside. Faint light from an unknown source lit the way as they followed what were unmistakably Jason's cries and Goldar's growls. It was several anxious minutes before they finally came upon their friend and leader in a replica of the Dark Dimension, desperately fighting Goldar while unmorphed. Gasps were torn from each of them as they took in Jason's bloody and battered appearance. They hardly recognized him for all the blood that covered his face and matted his hair.
"Wait," Tommy protested, looking back at Cera and Tam in confusion. "This isn't right. He was a little banged up in that fight, but not to this extent!"
"The wounds are from the other memories he has endured," Tam explained. "It is also a physical representation of his mind being overwhelmed by so much power and emotion. It is actually impressive that he has lasted this long and proves he is strong willed and worthy of the Red Power. But he *is* weakening and can't last much longer. If you cannot reach him, he will die."
Determination replaced the flicker of fear on each of their faces. They would *not* lose Jason! "How do we reach him?" Trini asked.
"You already know the answer to that," Cera replied, looking meaningfully at the red orb that hovered near her and Tam, occasionally drifting toward Jason only to return to its original spot as if it had been pushed back.
Billy looked between the orb and Jason with interest. "It's like there's a separation between them and the orb is trying to get back to Jason," he murmured after a moment, noting the faint smiles that crossed Cera and Tam's lips. Realization struck them all at once and, nodding to each other, they formed a circle, joining hands and closing their eyes. Second later, each began to glow with their own color and, a moment after that began pulsing.
"The Power of Five call to the Power of One," they spoke in unison. "Tyrannosaurus, hear our call. Return to the Power of Six." They repeated the call again and again and again, slowly raising the voices and power until each was glowing too brightly to actually be seen.
The red orb began to pulse in response, and then suddenly seemed to throw itself again and again at the invisible barrier that was keeping it from Jason. Cera and Tam looked at each other, and smiled.
PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR
Jason let out a half grunt, half sob of pain as he hit the floor hard, making his already grievous injuries worse. 'God,' he thought as he lay gasping, listening to Goldar's taunting laugh. 'I've been fighting him for hours. I've got to get my morpher. I can't last much longer like
this!' He turned over and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, coughing and spitting out blood. He winced, wrapping a protective arm around his broken ribs as his ragged breathing agitated them further, listening to Goldar move about the room.
"How 'bout it, Red Ranger?" the golden space ape asked. "Are you ready to surrender yourself to my blade? I'll even make it quick since you've managed to last so long against me in your current state."
Jason squeezed his eyes shut tightly, trying to gather up as much strength as he could find. Which wasn't a lot. Still, he struggled to his feet,leveling a defiant glare at Goldar. "Go to hell!" he gasped.
Goldar let out an amused laugh as he raised his sword. "You first," he growled as he launched a new attack. As Jason tried to fend the ape off, he was startled by a whisper in his ear. Quickly putting some distance between himself and his opponent, Jason glanced around in confusion.
"What's the matter, Red Ranger?" Goldar asked, glancing around as well. "You look perplexed. Are you finally realizing that there's no way out?"
Jason's eyes darted to Goldar, then around the room again as he heard the faint whisper once more. "The Power of Five call to the Power of One." Jason frowned. "What?"
"I asked if you're finally ready to admit defeat," Goldar said, looking at Jason curiously.
"Tyrannosaurus, hear our call. Return to the Power of Six."
Jason blinked and shook his head. 'What the hell is that?' he thought. He jumped as the whisper repeated itself, louder this time. His gaze darted to Goldar suspiciously. "Are you doing that?"
"Doing what? Beating you to a pulp? If that's what you mean, then yes!"
Jason shook his head again as the words started to repeat themselves again and again, growing louder and louder until they were echoing around the room. Then his eyes widened as colored lights appeared in one corner of the room, slowly growing into large pulsing columns. Jason's attention was abruptly diverted from the strange sight by Goldar's fist slamming into him and driving him to the floor. He looked up at Goldar towering over him and froze when the point of his enemy's sword came to rest against his throat. "All right, Red Ranger, I'm done toying with you. I have other things to do."
'I'm done,' Jason realized. 'I have nothing left. I'm sorry, guys.' He closed his eyes and swallowed hard before opening them again and looking to where the columns of lights still were and drew in a quick, painful breath when he realized he could see figures in the lights!
"The Power of Five call to the Power of One! Tyrannosaurus, hear our call! Return to the Power of Six!"
Jason's eyes widened. Could his friends be trying to reach him? He could see a red light joining the others, though it looked like it was actually trying to burst through. His eyes darted back to Goldar, who was laughing as he positioned his sword for a kill strike. As the chant repeated
itself again, Jason's eyes flew back to the lights and, at the end of the chant, he shouted, "Tyrannosaurus!"
The red light that had joined the others suddenly burst through at Jason's call, slamming into Goldar and sending him flying across the room. Jason's gaze stayed locked on the red orb that hovered above him until a voice cried out, "Jason!" Looking over at the corner, he felt his heart
leap in joy. "G-Guys?"
His eyes swept the group before frowning in confusion. "Tommy?" What on Earth was Tommy doing there? His gaze moved back to the others in alarm but before he could give voice to what he was thinking, Tommy said, "Jason! Bro, I need you listen to me really carefully, okay? When Jason's full attention was on him, the Green Ranger continued. "Jason, what's happening right now with Goldar over there is not real. Rita messed with your power coin and opened its memory, flooding you with stuff that happened in the past. You're in a memory right now, Jason, one that's been twisted all around."
Jason frowned in confusion. "What? Tommy...how...?"
"I'm the Green Ranger, Jason."
Jason tensed at those words, eyes snapping to his friends with more than a little fear. Were they prisoners? They *did* look frightened...
"Jason!" Zack called, drawing his gaze to the Black Ranger. "Tommy's one of us, man. We broke Rita's spell on him, remember? This fight with Goldar in the Dark Dimension happened months ago. Bro, you've gotta remember how it really happened so that we can get you out of here and close the door to the coin's memory. Before it kills you!"
Jason stared at Zack like he had two heads. Before he could think more on the strange words, however, Goldar was coming at him and Kim was screaming a warning. He threw himself to the side, just barely avoiding the razor sharp sword. "Give it up, Red Ranger. There are no friends coming for you," Goldar taunted as he followed Jason's tormented movement. The ape didn't seem to know they were there and inspiration flashed through Tommy's mind.
"Goldar stop!" he shouted, causing the dark warrior to pause and turn.
"I thought Rita wanted me to destroy him?" Goldar questioned.
Tommy shook his head. "She wants that pleasure to be mine, and has ordered me personally to see to his end."
Goldar nodded with a low growl and vanished, leaving Jason staring at Tommy in bewilderment. Tommy stared back calmly. "Come on, man, you remember what happened next. Remember how we fought? How I nearly killed you before the others teleport you out in time?"
Jason slowly struggled to his feet, eyes locked on Tommy. It was so strange but... "You wear a Green Ranger costume, yet your loyalties with Rita."
"I'm her Green Ranger and she is my Empress," Tommy replied, shivering as he remembered the confrontation and his deep desire to kill Jason.
Jason stared at Tommy, images of a long past fight flickering through his mind. Unnoticed by him but seen by the others, ghostly images of Jason and the Green Ranger fighting appeared in another corner of the room as Jason started to remember what had really happened. The red orb, which had been waiting a short distance away, now moved to hover close to him, pulsing as it sought his attention. As the scene played out, Jason felt strength returning to him. He looked at the orb, slowly reaching out to touch it and closed his eyes, feeling the power of the Red Ranger flowing through him.
The Rangers watched as the Dark Dimension shimmered and changed, suddenly finding themselves in the dim lighting of the Command Center. Jason, clad in his uniform without his helmet, opened his eyes and looked at his friends in confusion. "Guys? What the hell is going on?" he asked.
The others broke out into large smiles and hurried over to surround him. "Rita messed with your Power Coin," Zack explained again. "She was trying to kill you with an overdose of power from the Grid, but the coin's memory was opened instead and exposed you to memories of past Red Rangers," he added, glancing at Billy to make sure he'd explained it right.
Billy nodded and continued the story, certain they would have to tell it again later. "You were lost in your own mind, so we had to come in and find you before the door to the memories could be closed again."
Jason stared at them, speechless, until his eyes found the forms of two people clad in red that he did not know. He raised his eyebrows as he realized that they were both wearing Red Ranger uniforms. "This is Cera and Tam," Kim spoke up. "They're...uh, spirits that were trapped in the
coin and they helped up find you."
The teens moved aside to give the spirits room as the approached. Both covered their hearts with a hand and bowed their heads. "Jason, Red Ranger of the present," Cera murmured. "We of the past are pleased to know that Power we held so dear in life is in good hands."
Jason stared at the pair, feeling a suddenly deep and very strong kinship with them. Images flickered through his mind's eye of each of their sacrifices, causing his heart to ache for what they had given up for duty. Solemnly, he reached out and, as both Cera and Tam put their hands over his, he felt that strange kinship with them deepen even more. He drew in a soft breath. He had never in all his life felt so connected to anyone as he did to these two former Rangers.
The others watched silently, aware that something very special was occurring between the trio. Something that they couldn't possibly hope to understand and never would unless they were to experience a similar situation with their own coins. Something that none were all that eager to experience.
Zack's attention was pulled away from the scene as he caught a quick flash of red in the shadows further back. "Uh, sorry to interrupt, but are we expecting more spirits?"
Cera and Tam looked sharply at each other, then into the shadows that Zack was peering into as he tried to get a better look at figure darting around. As Tam called out something in a language different from the one he and Cera and used earlier, Cera turned to them, a look of urgency in
her eyes.
"It is time for you all to go now," she said quickly. "Hurry now! Each of you put a hand on Jason and call out the return command. Tell Zordon to close the door immediately. He'll know how. Tam and I will aid from this side."
"What's wrong?" Kim asked anxiously, looking at Tam who was still calling out in the strange language, a note of urgency in his voice. "What's happening?"
"Kess is here," Cera replied, casting a worried look over her shoulder into the shadows. "Go now! Before you are unable to!"
Spurred on by the thought of being trapped in Jason's mind, the teens hurriedly complied with Cera's instructions. Each put a hand on Jason, who was staring into the shadows with a blank look on his face, and called out, "The Power of Six are whole once more! Release us from this place of memory!"
"Mastodon!"
"Pterodactyl!"
"Triceratops!"
"Saber Tooth Tiger!"
"Dragon Zord!"
What felt like the pull of teleportation engulfed them, and the world around them disappeared in a flash of light.
PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR
Eyes flew open and startled breaths were drawn in as the Rangers returned to their bodies. "Zordon!" Billy exclaimed. "Close the door! Hurry!"
Without a word, Zordon began glowing brightly. In response, Jason's Power Coin also started to glow. The teens watched as it rose into the air and vanished. Seconds later, the still unconscious Jason morphed and bright red light burst from him, forcing them to shield their eyes. When the
light faded, they stood and hurried over to Jason, who had de-morphed but had not woken up.
"Zordon?" Trini questioned, taking Jason's hand and looking at him worriedly. "Is he okay?"
"Yes, Trini," Zordon replied. "The door to the memories has been closed and he is now in a healing sleep."
Relief passed through them all and tired smiles were exchanged. "Uh...guys?" Their attention went to Trini, who was staring at a softly glowing Jason with wide eyes. As they watched, his Power Coin once again started glowing brightly. There was another flash of light and everyone stared in shock at the two shimmering forms standing before them.
"Cera! Tam!" Kim exclaimed.
"Ay yi-yi-yi-yi! It's can't be!" Alpha cried out. "How is it possible that you are here?"
Cera smiled, a look of fondness slipping into her eyes. "It's a long story, Alpha. One that the Rangers can explain."
"H...how did you get out?" Zack asked. "I thought you had to close the door from the inside?"
"We did," Tam answered, gazing down at Jason. "We aren't certain how, but Jason reached out and pulled us free before the door shut completely." Tearing his gaze away, he looked up at Zordon. "Zordon, it is good to see you." He glanced at Cera, then started speaking to Zordon in their native language. The Rangers listened curiously, once again hearing the name 'Kess' mentioned several times. They looked at each other, but no one said anything, certain their questions would be answered shortly.
When Tam finished his conversation with Zordon, their mentor said, with no small measure of emotion in his voice, "Cera, Tam, you have my deepest gratitude for your assistance in this matter. Now that you are free to move on to the next world, I hope you will finally be able to rest in peace."
Cera and Tam, as they had done before with Jason, put a hand over their hearts and bowed their heads. Turning to the Rangers, they said in unison, "May the Power protect and guide you, always."
The teens copied the stance and murmured, "Rest in peace." Cera and Tam smiled, then their shimmering forms faded and vanished. Kim sniffled and rubbed at her eyes and Tommy slipped an arm around shoulders, pulling her close.
There was a long moment of silence, then Zack spoke up. "Zordon...who's Kess?"
Zordon seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if uncertain what to tell them. Finally, he said, "Kess was an Atlantian who lived three hundred years before the destruction of the city. She was a very talented telepath and a fierce warrior well deserving of the Red Ranger power. However, as she grew older, her telepathic abilities grew stronger as well and she developed an unusual bond with the coin that none have done since. She began to sense the memories the coin held and felt that they were calling to her. Against my orders not to, she managed to open the door to the
coin's memory and exposed herself to what it held."
"Ay yi-yi, poor, poor Kess," Alpha said sadly. "The memories were far too much for her to handle. They drove her mad and she took her own life."
"As incredibly sad as that is," Kim said, looking up from where she had rested her head against Tommy's chest, "I don't understand why Cera and Tam were so jittery about her. She was a Ranger who lost her way, not an enemy. Right?"
"From what Tam told me, Kimberly, Kess was even more strongly affected by the coin's memories as a spirit than she was when she lived. Despite you being Rangers, she would have seen you as intruders and attacked your minds viciously. What concerned them most, however, was that they were not sure where she was before the door closed. There is a possibility that
she linked herself to the coin outside the doorway, which may cause problems for Jason."
"What kind of problems?" Trini asked.
"While Jason will be all right physically, it will take him time to recover from the memories he was exposed to. Tam wanted you to know that Jason may confuse you with people from the past and may recall some of the events from the coin's memory at random times. He will need you to be there for him and guide him through what will likely be a confusing time for him. The concern with Kess is that if she has, indeed, linked herself with the coin and, by extension, Jason, then she may make recovery more difficult by not allowing the memories to fade."
"Why wouldn't she allow the memories to fade?" Billy asked.
"She will feel that Jason, as a Red Ranger, will need to know the history of those who came before him and that it is up to her to show him. She will not understand how it will affect him."
"So, if she starts messing with his head like that, then how will we be able to help him get past it all?" Zack asked.
"If she is, indeed, among us, and does hinder Jason's recovery, then we will attempt to make contact with her and convince her to move on to the next world. Since we have no way of knowing that she has actually done any of this, all we can do is watch Jason closely. Do not worry, Rangers. She will not try to harm him physically." He paused, his gaze moving to
Jason. "For now, you all need rest and Jason likely will not wake until morning. We will worry about this then."
Nodding, the teens all moved over to Jason, each gently squeezing a shoulder and biding him goodnight before teleporting out one by one. When they were alone again, Alpha summoned a blanket and covered Jason with it. "Sleep well, Jason," he murmured. "We'll be here if you need us."
END
Follow up will be addressed in next fic entitled "Burden of Leadership."